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Topic: sand blast decorated Sowerby tumbler (Read 546 times)

As an undecorated tumbler this pattern seems first to appear in Book 15 - September 1895 - alghough having said that there are reams of Sowerby pressed tumblers with imitation sliced cut decoration, and I may have missed seeing it in an earlier catalogue. Sowerby did offer both acid etching and wheel engraving on their own glasses - but not sand blast decoration such as this - with sand blasting the image becomes very granular and is easy to tell apart from acid etching - so do we assume this wording was an outsouced addition to the glass? For a tumbler, this one is very clean - exactly when it was pressed I haven't a clue - but was curious to know if people considered that this motto (PEACE AND PLENTY) might be related to some particular late C19 or C20 event - certainly this method of decoration was commonplace in the 1890's, and perhaps for some years after. Might the end of the fourteen - eighteen war be a possibility?thanks for looking.

many thanks for your reply Anne. I can imagine the connection between male suffrage and the desire for peace and plenty.........although having squinted around the internet a little I haven't yet run down proof of your suggestion. Sounds likely though, so will look again.

It was a phrase associated with the fight against the Corn Laws in the 1840s but was in common use since the dawn of time! You might have more luck in pinning down when the phrase slipped out of everyday use.

thanks to both for help with this query. Tumblers are a rich source for providing social commentary from the C19, and it's amazing what else you learn when you take up glass collecting. Date wise I'd probably go with late C19 then.